There is a rugby lesson to be learned from Tennis - the French Open

clevermike

The French Open shows us once again that older sportsmen find it very hard to beat younger players and this mania about older players must stop asap.

The players were ranked as follows:-

1 Djokovic

2 Nadal

3 Federer

4 Thiem

In the semi's -

* Nadal beat the much older Federer with ease; and

* Thiem beat Djokovic

So the final today is between Nadal and Thiem - a repeat of the final of 2018. I have a gut feeling Thiem is going to win this year,

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Chippo

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Posted by: Chippo (2064 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 11:17

Um Mike That's bull

Nadal also beat much you get opponents. Federer beat younger opponents when we won his last Wimbledon crown.

Just because of the semi results you come and talk this tripe.

Look at bigger picture Michael.

The top ranked players are all older players.

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Beeno1

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Posted by: Beeno1 (32210 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 12:03

Yes something has changed in tennis. At one point at 30 you were pretty much done.

Right now we have Thiem, Zverev and Tsitsipas in the top 10 who could be called younger players - Thiem being 25. None have won a grand slam.

It could simply be we have 3 of greatest of all time blocking them.

Whatever the case there is no doubt player careers are longer and the are still doing well in their 30s.

I hope Thiem breaks Nadal stranglehold on Roland Garros. If it's a long 5 setter how with Thiem go after playing over 3 hours yesterday. I am expecting Nadal to win but hope I am wrong.

Last year I noted how the then 16 year old Anisimova was. She showed how good she was losing to Barry in the semis after being a set and 3-0 up. Looks to be a future star. But of course we know that Sharapova, Bekker, Chang won grandslams very young and didn't quite kick on as expected.

Looking forward to Wimbledon where I think Federer has a chance. He goes into the grass season much more battle hardened.

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mozart

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Posted by: mozart (31388 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 16:53

Good point there HasBeen....Fed has been avoiding the French and coming to Wimbledon half baked. He will be a tougher opponent having gone through the French.

Three of the four semi finalists well into their thirties.....one close to forty.

Down goes Ou Tokkie who doesn't even know that surfaces matter. Stick with moz.

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mozart

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Posted by: mozart (31388 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 18:16

And so 33 year old Rafa Nadal totally crushes 25 year old Dominic Thiem, leaving him threadbare and confused. There certainly are lessons to be learned here:

1 Age has scarcely dimmed the luster of the great triumvirate of Nadal, Federer and the Joker.

2 Champions are mentally tough....Thiem made a supreme effort to win the second set....after which Nadal rattled off 10 straight points, effectively ending the match.....the last two sets at 6/1.

3 Mike's 'gut feeling' is just flatulence.

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Beeno1

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Posted by: Beeno1 (32210 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 18:23

I saw Thiem's coach asked for a postponement of the match to Monday saying Thiem had played each of the previous 4 days. Hence my belief Nadal would win. Thiem was running on empty sets 3 and 4.

The good news is that they will have a court or is it two under roof next year.

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Chippo

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Posted by: Chippo (2064 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 20:27

They need to change the rules. A player cannot play on a final after being in a monumentous match less than 24 hours before.

It gives the other player au fair advance rage.

PS. Where is Michael now? Age beat youth today Uncle Mike.

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mozart

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Posted by: mozart (31388 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 20:53

Fair point on Thiem being disadvantaged, but Nadal in top physical condition was never going to lose the French.....only Bjorn Borg with 6 French titles at age 25, had a matching early record at Roland Garros.

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sharkbok

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Posted by: sharkbok (11782 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 21:12

There is nothing to be learnt from this except that rigid generalisations based on age cant be made.

Here we have some all-time greats, playing against younger players who frankly will never be remembered in the same breath 20 years from now.

The question is would the older versions of these players, beat the younger versions of themselves? Who is better the 27-year-old Federer or the 37-year-old Federer.....

It is probably the 27-year-old- but even the 37-year-old one is better than pretenders that are just fortunate to have not played him in his prime.

It is all simplistic stuff, because a Springbok rugby great past his prime, is probably better than a younger pretender that is just a place holder until a new great is discovered.

A case in example is Duane Vermeulen versus one of the Deysel twins, or some new kid that has had some decent games in Currie Cup, or even Super Rugby.

Older players need to be managed and play less. Not because of age, but more because of wear and tear from all the years in the game. Try playing professional rugby for over 10 years, and it is obvious that more rest is required to recover from matches- - and then peak for the matches that count.

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mozart

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Posted by: mozart (31388 posts)

Jun 09, 2019, 22:13

Spot on Shark.

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clevermike

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Posted by: clevermike (41406 posts)

Jun 10, 2019, 03:23

So they peaked in 2015 when most of the players could not last for even one game and was on holiday at SARU expense in the UK that year, Very nice holiday I may say,

As per normal Vermeulen oplays one decent game in five and skipped the Rugby Championship because he could not keep up and play three reasonable matches in a row. That is not what is expected in the WC. In 2015 the same players had to play gme after game because of the elkderly and they could not expected to do so - that is why their are 31 squad members to allow for rest games for players. There was in fact NONE for some players.

Idiots galore on this site,

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mozart

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Posted by: mozart (31388 posts)

Jun 10, 2019, 04:30

Hahahaha.....if it isn't the old gut himself......dripping egg as he flows.